


Deranged

by redblue



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Eren is kidnapped, Husbands, Kidnapping, Levi is broken, Levi/Eren Yeager-centric, M/M, Married Couple, Unconditional Love, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-24
Updated: 2016-02-19
Packaged: 2018-04-27 19:51:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5061781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redblue/pseuds/redblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi and Eren Yeager, owners of the multi-billion industry Yeager Enterprises. Ten years ago, they met as business partners and then became best friends. Seven years ago, they became lovers. Four years ago, they got married. Every day is filled with laughter and understanding and bickering and pure love. Until one day, Eren's not there. </p><p>The kidnappers give him eight days. One billion dollars, or no Eren.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lost.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story about Levi's unconditional love for Eren, and the lengths he'd go through for his husband.
> 
> It'll only be a two-shot. I wrote it so that I can get myself comfortable with fic-writing again, and then I can go finish my other fanfics!

**DAY ONE.**  
The bed is cold. Its warmth has been stolen, ripped from his fingertips. 

It strikes him as heartbreaking.

Levi rolls over, arm reaching for the corners of the large mattress. Eyes are squinting, eyebrows furrowed, confusion colored across his face. A low groan of disappointment rumbles through him, and he sits up, gaze traveling the room.

Eren’s not there.

Which wasn’t necessarily surprising. The younger had a small bladder, and often throughout the night he’d stumble out of bed, a slight limp in his step (much to the fault of his husband), release himself and return to the strong, loving arms beside him.

But it was still odd. The man was usually completely knocked out by this time of the morning, not even waking for the urge to use the restroom. The dim, rising light of the sun left him exhausted, passed out in the bed, preparing himself to awake for the new, busy day.

But Eren wasn’t there.

Levi gets up, feet pushing into fuzzy slippers that lay beside the bed. A yawn starts to stretch through his throat until he stifles it, too busy withholding his worry. Legs blindly take him into the master bathroom, where he peeks his head in.

“Eren?”

But only silence responds.

So the man checks each room, his calls echoing into the grand area that is their mansion. The guest room, their offices, the room that they were saving to be a nursery.

When there’s no answer, Levi heads downstairs. His voice has become slightly strained, though he manages to remain optimistic. He could have gone for a morning run (although they’d usually go together), or maybe a shopping trip (which they also did together), or maybe went to have coffee with their neighbors that lived a few yards away (and Levi knew he was just stretching it by now).

When Eren wasn’t found in the downstairs bedrooms, kitchen, bathrooms, or library, Levi rubbed his chin, thinking to himself. Eren’s phone had still been on his nightstand. Perhaps he was playing some sadistic game of hide-and-seek, though it felt too off- too eerily quiet.

That’s when a little sound came from the living room.

There was a faint coughing and then someone mumbling ‘shut up’ before a man’s voice spoke loudly. Confidently and dominantly.

“Yoo-hoo! Mr.Yeager!”

Levi tilted his head, blood running cold. The voice wasn’t in his house. Instead, it was coming from a source. The ravenette rounded a few hallways until he was in the living room, the source of sound standing before him. Their large television screen sat on the wall before him, a large man with a ski-mask standing before a camera. He waved.

“Ah, Levi Yeager! Just the man we were hoping to see.”

The man growls. He’s had scenarios like this before. Threats, blackmail, people calling their home, people breaking in. Their home had an extreme amount of security, ranging from cameras to alarms at every window and door. He had no idea how this set-up had made its way into his home: and yet there it was. A man’s face on his television, talking to him, and a tiny camera beside the screen. The camera had cords that ran into a small device, and then more cords that ran into the television.

The man laughed at Levi’s growl, as if it was the least of his concerns. But the stranger didn’t know how intimidating Levi could be when he was in a bad mood: and not waking up beside Eren had put him in a very, very bad mood.

Levi decides he has no time for this stranger’s cockiness. He goes to the camera beside the television as if he was going to take the equipment apart, uncomfortable with his face being broadcasted to someone else. 

But the man with the mask stopped him.

“Oh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Mr. Yeager. You see, I was taking a tour around your lovely house this morning, and I found something extremely valuable to you.”

Levi blanched, skin turning frosty. His glare could kill.

Suddenly, the angle from the camera on the other end turned. Instead of looking into the stranger's face, a familiar countenance sat before him, just how he remembered.

Eren, bound on a chair and gagged.

Levi snarled, his blood boiling, his fists curling, feeling like they could break through a single person’s ribs. The urge to break some bones crawled over him, the rough origin of his childhood coming back to him. Punches and kicks that held fire.

No, he would kill these people.

But Eren looked at him steadily. Not scared. No, his stare was one of knowing, eyebrows wrinkled, as if he were trying to get a point across to Levi only. As if he KNEW that Levi planned to kill anyone who had touched Eren’s skin. As if he knew that the rage from his days on the street was beginning to pour over his flesh.

With the burning look from his husband, Levi could only grind his teeth. Eren was right, although he hadn’t even said anything. They were professionals. They were one of the richest, most influential couples in the country. 

They’ve dealt with worse.

So Levi gave a short, incredibly small nod. One that only Eren would recognise. He saw his husband’s shoulders loose tension, clearly relieved.

“What’re your conditions?” Levi asked, words strained.

“One billion. You’ve got eight days, Mr.Yeager. Starting today. No exceptions.”

Still staring intently into Eren’s bright eyes, the connection cut off.

 **DAY TWO.**  
There’s no such thing as sleep.

It’s a luxury of lies, something far off and non-existent. Levi believes he’ll never see it again.

The night had been brutally painful.

Yesterday, he’d immediately called the police. Squad cars had showed up, then news vans, then crowds. They were all kept on the sidewalks, far past the gate. Levi could barely hear them from such a distance.

It was not a nuisance. The more help, the better.

Detectives had come into his home, and he hadn’t even told them to take off their shoes.

Once inside, laptops had been opened, employees working, cords plugged into places he didn’t understand. They worked like they, too, loved Eren.

But it was only the money that made them move quickly.

Eventually he learned that the kidnappers were certainly professionals. No IP Addresses could be tracked, and their location was blocked delicately. It was an intricate web of hacking and coding.

Levi expected nothing less. 

They had to be professionals. There was no single group of men who could take Eren so easily. Eren may not have grown up on the streets like Levi, and he may not have the strength like Levi, but Levi had ultimately taught him well.

Eren had serious skills. And his determination, cockiness, and endurance all paid into it.

He would be fine. At least, that’s what Levi spent every waking moment convincing himself of.

On the second day, the television flickered on at the same time of the day before: 7 in the morning. It was a good thing Levi hadn’t slept.

“Good morning, Mr.Yeager! I should assure you that the other Yeager is doing just fine today. Would you like to see him?”

Levi felt a string of insults and curses on his tongue, and the urge to bite flesh from this man’s throat, but he merely grit his teeth and replied. “If you’d be so kind, please.”

There was a chuckle at Levi’s tone before the camera obligingly turned to face Eren. As promised, the brown-haired male seemed unharmed. Levi exhaled, a long sigh that had felt trapped in his body all night.

Eren looked at him lovingly, still gagged, but holding up. Still, the sight clenched at his heart and squeezed his chest until it became hard to breathe.

Without Eren, he was nothing. Levi would die for him. And Eren knew that.

“Are they feeding you?”

Very slowly, Eren nodded. Levi bit his lip, devouring each detail of his husband’s face, remembering it, holding it so it would get him through another night.

In the back of his mind, he remembered the detectives who had stayed the night and remained working in another room. They had told him to hold the camera conversation for more than a full minute. Perhaps, they had said, it would help with the tracking.

“We’re getting you out of there, okay? Just hold on for me.”

Eren nodded again. Something blazed in his eyes, and it was evident to the two that they both knew Eren would hold on for as long as it took, never once giving up.

Suddenly, the man was in the shot, too. His hand touched Eren’s shoulder delicately. Levi hissed, teeth bared, fuming.

“I hope when you mention getting out of here, that includes my one billion, Levi.”

“I’ll get you your billion when your hand learns its fucking place.”

The man on the other end smiled. “Time's up.”

The line went dead.

 **DAY THREE.**  
Their nights always ended in whispers of ‘ _I love you_ ’.

Every night, for the past seven years.

They’d met as business partners, ten years ago. Equals. Not once was one below the other in their field. Eren was young at first. Only eighteen, thought to be a brat, though it had soon become apparent how capable the boy was. He’d studied meticulously thanks to the home tutor's of his rich father, a doctor of wealth and finance. Before graduating high school, he’d already invested into his own business, starting small and building up.

And Levi, twenty-one at the time, had been on the exact same path. The two were indestructible. Young men of dreams and wishes and dedication. Levi invested into Eren’s business, and the two devised a detailed business plan. 

Three years of professionalism. Three years of hard work, late nights, and calculations. Three years where they had no time for anything else. But they didn’t care. They fought for what they wanted and they never let a soul defuse their want. They threw themselves into their jobs, working side by side.

And after those three years, they had a corporation.

Yeager Enterprises.

They’d argued over the name a multitude of times. Eren had claimed time and time again that Levi had ever damn right to have his last name in the title. But Levi refused. He hated his last name. There was nothing special about it. No deep meaning. No reason to continue its line.

That’s why, when they eventually got married, Levi had taken on the name for himself, leaving his own last name in the dust.

After those three years of work, after success, they succumbed to what they’d always known. Love and passion and the knowledge that there was no one else for them. Only each other.

And for seven years (four of which they’d spent married), they’d said ‘ _I love you_ ’ every night, without fail. Even if they were miles away. Through calls, through texts, through cuddled whispers. Every night.

Except until now.

At seven in the morning, Levi was already in front of the television, waiting. His knuckles were coated in dried blood- he’d punched quite a bit of walls the day prior.

The television clicked on, and Levi stood straight, mouth set to a permanent frown.

“Ah, Mr. Yeager, good to see you today. How’re you? You seem a bit tired.”

Levi stared at him. There was no insults to cast. No words that could indulge in this pain.

“Show me him.” His voice called for no questions. It was deadly.

But the criminal only glanced at him beneath the mask, a tilt to his head.

“Who?”

Levi gritted his teeth. “Eren. Show me Eren.”

The man laughed, as if he enjoyed teasing the husband of his victim. “Eren? I don’t suppose I’ve ever heard the name.”

Levi felt himself burning, hideous rage never stopping in its rise. “I’ll fucking destroy-”

“Mr. Yeager.” The man’s voice was sharp and non-negotiable. Not at all intimidating, but when Eren was their captor, Levi had no choice but to back done and bite his lip. “I’d appreciate it if you tried to be more civil. It’ll be in your best interest.”

And he imagined Eren, behind the camera somewhere that could not be seen. With his mouth gagged and his wrists bound. Not scared, but on the brink of fear. Helpless beneath their strength. Possibly hurt. Levi felt the nausea rush over him again, and held in the urge to vomit. For three days now, it had been constant waves of sickness. He needed to see Eren alive. He needed to feel him, to kiss him, to hear his breathing. 

Or, at the very least, he needed to see his eyes. Blinking at him. Surging. Vibrant.

“Okay.” Levi inhaled, then exhaled. He ran a hand through his hair. “Okay.”

The criminal smiled. “Good! I’m so happy to hear your cooperation with us, Mr. Yeager.” There was a pause, those disgusting eyes before him staring through the webcam, before he continued. “Now, I’m not surprised to hear about the hords of support you’ve got coming from your side.”

Levi blinked before turning his head. It was true. The workers, who were being paid handsomely, were gathered on the floor and table and couch. Actually, they were scattered across the length of the Yeager mansion. Although it was currently impossible to get the location of the kidnappers, they still worked diligently. Some were paying close attention to the man’s voice, recording it and comparing it to other voices around the world. They were out of sight from the camera’s point of view, but it was no secret that Levi had hired quite a few private investigators, hackers, and detectives.

“I’m not mad, Levi! I understand, trust me, I do. But you see, it’s a bit annoying. I’m asking for a quite a large sum of money. And while you should be collecting the money for me, you’ve went and hired professionals to try and find me.” The man paused. “You can see why that’s irritating, can’t you, Levi?”

Levi clenched his hands into fists, nails biting into his palms. “Yes.”

The man continued. “Because while I’m asking you for money, you’ve went ahead and spent money. And that’s the opposite of what I’m trying to achieve here. You understand, right?”

“Yes.” It was practically growled.

“Good, good. Since you understand, I’m gonna go ahead and give you a simple test. I need your full attention now, okay?”

Levi only nodded, seething but listening.

The man clapped his hands thunderously. “Wow, so obedient! How delightful!” The face tilted on screen, eyes blinking. “I want 100 million by midnight.”

Levi opened his mouth immediately, but was cut off.

“Midnight. No earlier and no later. But don’t worry. I’ve told you before- it’s only a test.” The man shrugged his large shoulders, bulky and heavy. “If you fail... eh. We’ll brush it off. No big deal. Our other agreement will still be expected, but that’s it.”

There was a long pause before he continued. “But failure requires consequences, Mr. Yeager.” His eyes traveled off-screen, and he grinned wickedly. “And I don’t think you’re in any position to accept those consequences.”

 

Before hanging up, he’d given them coordinates. It was far from here, too far, but the man on the other side had insisted he use his private jet. The location, they soon found out, was at the bottom edge of a forest-filled mountain. They’d have to land on a strip of bare road and then walk the last bit of distance.

After hanging up, Levi had thrown a nearby laptop, shattering it into the nearest wall. No one even blinked, already accustomed to it. He’d reimburse the equipment, anyways.

So they started.

Levi claimed they would not create a plan today. There was no time with only 13 hours to spare.

It hurt him so badly to succumb, because he knew Eren was in there, telling him to do anything but give up the money they’d worked so hard to obtain. This was their EMPIRE. This is what they’d create from scratch. This was their souls’ hard work, finally paying off.

But less than a day was not enough time. He’d have to spare a hundred million dollars.

He’d spare all of it if it came down to just the money and Eren.

So arrangements were made. His investigators advised against it. They wanted to strategize. But the flight would be a few hours, and the money transfer would take another few. This was not the time to try and catch the fucking bastards. No, that would come at the end of the eight days, when Eren was in his arms again, living and beautiful and free.

They got the money hours later through multiple complications. Large bills sat in five long suitcases. They were heavy, but mere feathers to Levi, who lugged them into the plane later that day. The detectives were advising him against it. 

He told them all to get the hell out of his face.

On the plane, he only had the pilot, one professional hacker, and Hanji with him.

His foot couldn’t stop tapping.

Hanji smiled delicately at him, but said nothing.

And then, after an hour or two, the pilot’s voice.

“Mr. Yeager, sir, our area of destination has current tornado warnings.”

Levi didn’t hesitate. “Drive through it.” A pause. “Or around it. Or above it. I don’t really care.”

The pilot was silent for a few moments before continuing. “Sir, the aircraft won’t be able to land near our destination. The closest is within a 30 mile radius. I’m being sent instructions via air traffic controllers. Their orders are to land before we get close.”

Levi had been shaking his head. “No, absolutely not. If you want to land and get off, fine. I’ll drive the stupid fucking thing myself.”

“Levi…” This was Hanji, muttering to him. Always his voice of reason. But reason could not reach him this time. 

“No! Fuck off, the both of you. Tell Air Control they can kiss my fucking ass.”

Hanji spoke up. “Perhaps when we land, we can call a vehicle to pick us up and drive us.”

Levi slammed his hand down on the mini table before him. “We’re in the middle of fucking nowhere! A car won’t make it to us with enough time to spare!”

From the headphones, the pilot's voice gently came through. “It wouldn’t be idealistic to drive through tornado conditions, either way.”

Levi ran his hands through his hair, then gripped at the strands, pulling as he curled in on himself. “Fuck,” he hissed, a harsh snarl in the silence of his own destruction. And then again, softer. “Fuck…”

The pilot spoke one last time. “I’m being ordered to land, Mr. Yeager. I’m sorry.”

There were a few minutes of fighting, where Levi had gotten to the front of the plane and ripped the headphones from the pilot, shouting nonsense into the microphone, cursing and yelling and attempting to punch controls (punches that were thankfully blocked by the pilot). And then Hanji, pulling him away as he finally succumbed, crying blindly and mumbling Eren’s name.

 **DAY FOUR.**  
None of them had slept. Around midnight, when the time had just passed, Levi vomited in the jet’s private restroom. When conditions around them were finally clear, it was almost 3 a.m.

They turned around and went home (although it wasn’t much of a home without his husband there with him).

They reached the Yeager’s private airstrip around 6 am, and Levi took his own car back to the mansion, driving as fast as he possibly could. 

He made it back by seven in the morning.

There was no signal from the television.

He waited, and he waited, and he waited. But no one reached him. No one called through the webcam. No one invaded the privacy of his own home. The man in the mask never came on the screen.

Three hours later, someone murmured to Levi that he should go to bed and sleep, at least for a few hours. Levi reluctantly climbed the grand stairs, heading to the master bedroom.

It smelt of Eren. Of freshness and the ocean, a soft breeze against his skin. Like love and family and gentle smiles, only for him.

Atop his bed, there was a rectangular box.

Levi stilled.

Slowly, legs made of lead, he dragged himself to the sheets.

There was a red ribbon tied around it, and he gently untied it, hands trembling, breath unsteady.

He took the top off, and his breath was cut short, a tense inhale, shock rising.

In the box was a finger. He recognized it. The finger that had touched his cheek, his jaw, his lips so many times. The finger he kissed. The beautiful fingers he held. The fingers he loved so, so much. The box was coated in blood, messy and tangled.

A gold ring wrapped around the delicate digit, and Levi knew that if he checked, there’d be engravings on the inside.

_MY HEART AND SOUL. JE T’AIME._

He had a matching one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :')
> 
> Levi's own ring says, 'MY HEART AND SOUL. I LOVE YOU.'
> 
> PS, please ignore any plot details that don't make complete sense. I wrote this to focus on Levi's feelings for Eren rather than making it plot-centric, so not much research went into the whole 'hacking' thing, lol. Second chapter will be out soon! Thanks for reading!


	2. Together.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A reunion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm back! Granted, it's about 5 or 6 months later, but I'm back! This chapter is a bit over 6,000 words, so stay seated for a wild ride. Thank you for the patience :) 
> 
> There's some violence and blood in this chapter!

**DAY FIVE.**  
He’d always known he loved Eren.

To find someone so determined, more than he himself was, proved to be a rarity. No one was as passionate nor as brilliant. No one worked for their goals as diligently as he did. No one fought to see the results of his hard work. No one pushed Levi to his limits, challenging him, happy to be beside him.

Eren was special, and he loved him from the start.

In his dreams, Levi remembered how his husband tasted. Sweet, like candy, a sense of autumn in the bundle of cinnamon and warmth. A personal heater, which Levi always joked was a side effect of Eren’s hidden anger, buried beneath his skin and out of view from other businessmen.

Only Levi knew everything about Eren. He knew about how he sometimes mumbled in his sleep, only ever muttering, “Yeager Enterprises,” or “Levi, no, not there,” or “Levi… love you…” Only Levi knew that Eren made little sniffing sounds when he got impatient, or that he had learned to fight so quickly, or that he loved when Levi whispered directly into his ear. Only Levi knew that Eren liked it soft or rough, in the mornings or night, on the table or in the bed- as long as it was with one another, with their bodies only. 

Only Levi knew the shape of Eren’s face perfectly by memory.

Only Levi.

The consumption of these thoughts, and his love, too saddened and too bright, wake him up.

He starts another day without Eren in his bed.

 

They confirmed that the finger had been taken off with a circular saw. The blade type used on the saw was unknown, but the cut was clean enough to be a dead giveaway. The thought of Eren’s hand, forced down and cut off, had made Levi retch immediately, not even making it to their master bathroom.

He couldn’t even find it in himself to clean up the mess, which he left to the hands of one of the dozens of people in his home.

They found him screaming on the fourth day, holding the hand, unable to stop.

After the commotion, the finger was taken away, and it had all become too much. Levi slept through the night, silent, not once waking. His subconscious had finally begged him to forget. To succumb to sleep. When he woke up, there were tears on his pillowcase.

The bed was cold.

When he got downstairs, someone informed him that Eren’s sister would be there soon. Levi was thankful. She was the only one whose anger and fear and sorrow could match his own.

At seven, he was positioned perfectly in front of the television, standing. He tried not to be jittery, but it was impossible.

Eren didn’t have a ring finger.

Eren had lost a whole finger.

Eren didn’t have his ring on.

Eren had bled out. Alone. With no medical attention.

The thoughts ate him until he was consumed, waiting, ablaze with hatred. He had realized, at some point, that the last time he’d seen Eren was on the second day of his kidnapping. With a missing finger and no knowledge of his physical condition, it was possible that Eren was unconscious, or even worse. Levi figured that if he didn’t see Eren’s face today, the void would finally take him.

The video clicked on. Black noise filled the connection, and then the blur began to subside. Levi held his breath, on edge, begging to see the love of his life.

And he got his wish.

Eren sat before the camera, hands tied to the arms of the chair. His left hand was wrapped in white bandages, little stains of crimson soaking through. His face was tilted to the side, eyes closed, breathing ragged yet somehow still in control. One eye was black, bruised and beaten. The other eye was beginning to swell. There were cuts lining his cheeks, dry blood clinging to his skin.

He had been meticulously hit, as if his captors had tried to break him. His face was horrifically beaten and it was clear to anyone that he needed immediate medical attention. There was a murmured gasp among the people in the Yeager mansion, all out of shot of the camera’s view, yet still able to see Eren’s dying state.

Levi could do nothing but fall to his knees, eyes staring, never leaving his face, relieved to see he was alive, angry to see how hurt he truly was, desperate to touch his husband.

“Eren…” His voice was raw, pleading. “Eren… please, please, please.” He didn’t know what he was asking. He only knew how much he needed him, like Eren were his oxygen, and he was dying without him.

And finally, Eren’s eyes cracked open, bright seas of green looking at the monitor on the other side. When he recognized Levi, he smiled. Big and bright, across those bruising cheeks. A smile that was genuine, somehow, despite his situation.

“You’re lookin’ rough, Levi,” the younger said, a laugh bubbling from his lips, followed by a droplet of blood. It seemed as if the cut on his lip was still open.

“Eren…” he murmured, desperate, so pained that Eren could laugh and smile. “Baby, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, I’m sorry, this is my fault. Fuck, Eren. Fuck. I’m sorry.”

Eren was still grinning, a slight twinkle in his eyes. “Levi. Stand up.” His voice was quiet and rugged.

Levi stood up dutifully, never letting his eyes off the other.

“Now look at me. I’m alive, aren’t I?” 

Levi nodded, slow and gazing. Yes, Eren was alive. Eren was breathing. Eren was talking.

“Which means I’m holding up my part of the deal.” He stared at Levi, burning through him, purposeful and full of unspoken meanings. The two understood that his ‘part of the deal’ was surviving his situation until Levi could somehow do something. It was all he could do, but living was enough. “So I need you to stand tall, alright?” His voice was soft and gentle, but stern. Reminding Levi who they were. “We’re Yeagers, remember? We survive. That’s what we do.”

And his grin came back, big and joyous and conquering, and Levi briefly wondered how Eren was real. How he’d come across such a magnificent human being, stronger than anyone he’d ever met before. Stronger than Levi himself. Stronger than the whole world.

Levi quickly wiped the tears from his eyes and nodded, this time more steady, exhaling and inhaling to calm himself. Eren was undoubtedly right. He couldn’t let this emotional destruction hold him down from obtaining their final goal.

Eren glanced at him before his eyes closed again, voice smoothing out in a daze, as if he were exhausted. “You didn’t bring them the money… I’m so proud of you, Levi. So proud.”

Levi began to panic, eyes searching the screen. “Eren, please stay awake, please, please, one more minute, okay? Just one more.”

But Eren was falling asleep, and the connection soon clicked off.

From the kitchen, severely feet away, Levi heard a voice, excitement flowing through them.

“We’ve got a location!”

 

A location which soon proved to be a bust.

A large studio apartment, at the very top of a building, only thirty miles from the Yeager home. It felt like they were close, yet the apartment was emptied, making everyone believe they’d somehow rewired the location to give the hackers the wrong IP address.

Until someone called Levi over, pointing to the top of an old, wooden table in the corner of the mostly barren flat. It was labeled ‘Levi’, and had only a droplet of blood on it. He grabbed it, opening it with shaking fingers, not bothering to stress over the fact that it had to be Eren’s blood.

Inside the envelope, a letter had handwritten calligraphy, written horrifically.

“Three days. The clock is ticking. What will you do?”

Levi didn’t know.

 

 **DAY SIX.**  
Mikasa had come around midnight. Apparently the trip had been a difficult one. Levi didn’t feel like listening to excuses, and she didn’t feel like giving them. Upon her arrival, they hugged for a long time. Mikasa reminded Levi of Eren, and the same was felt about Levi by Mikasa. They were connected threads, riding on the same hopes, praying to see the bright-eyed brat in person again.

Mikasa had never disliked Levi. Not once. Sure, he had a shit attitude, and many were quick to dismiss him, claiming that Eren could do better. But Mikasa saw Eren’s happiness and success in their conjoined company. She knew they were a good couple, meant for great things, marriage bringing ultimate joy to her brother. She was happy for them, and Levi had grown accustomed to her protectiveness, realizing that her love for her brother meant he could trust her. They both had this sense to shield Eren, even when he didn’t need it. They had a mutual understanding.

Which is why they both slept on the long L shaped couch, Mikasa on one side and Levi on the other. It was late, and they needed sleep despite their horrendous worry. Today would be a day of solutions, and they had to be awake early to see those green eyes once again.

A few minutes before seven rolled around, Levi woke up, nauseous as he had been the last six days, always waking with that feeling of unease. Not to his surprise, Mikasa was already awake, staring at the television as if in a trance. Levi recognized the expression. He often sat there lately, waiting to see if he’d be graced with his husband’s face at some random time. He was always unlucky.

Without any warning, Mikasa turned to him, facing the conflict head-on. She’d always been strong willed, and never believed in failure.

“We’re going to get him out, and Eren’s going to survive. So you need to be strong, Levi. There’s no time for sorrow.”

He gave her a look. “I know.”

Someone from the kitchen, who looked particularly tired, came to hand them coffee. With all the police and tech specialists in his house lately, the whole place always smelt like coffee. It was steaming, but Levi drank it anyway, letting the liquid burn his throat. 

When the broadcast clicked on that morning, there was no Eren. Levi wasn’t surprised, and he didn’t let his anger or sorrow take him like the days prior. Mikasa, however, had been hoping to see her brother’s face. He saw her hands clench in her lap as she stared at the television, but Mikasa kept it together well.

Like she said: they had to be strong to get the job done.

The man before him was different than the leader they’d been talking to. He had a mask on, but Levi recognized the change in voice and eye color. Levi spoke before the stranger could get a word in.

“You’re not the one I want to talk to. Where’s the other bastard?”

The guy on the screen shook his head. “He’s busy. We’re close to the deadline, Levi, and if you don’t follow through, there’s steps we’ll have to take. You understand, right?”

No, he didn’t understand. He didn’t understand how strangers could come into his house and take what he loved more than anything in this world. He didn’t understand how they had taken Eren’s finger, or how they’d beaten on him like he were nothing. He didn’t understand anything about this, but arguing that point would be futile. 

“What do a couple of guys like you need a billion dollars for, anyway?” Levi asked. More than being curious, he was trying to prolong the conversation as always. Though any specific information would definitely help the investigation. “If you’re a criminal group, then you could certainly get money easier ways. I doubt you’re a gang, or you wouldn’t have the skill to do what you’ve done so far.”

The man on the screen didn’t answer anything. “That’s not for you to ask, Mr. Yeager.”

Levi grinned like a shark would, all teeth and no play. “Or are you just a group of unappreciative morons who want some attention from the world, and can’t get it from your own mothers?”

The stranger’s eyes hardened. Levi realized it then. That this man, who was not the leader Levi had been talking to in the days prior, was much younger and much softer. He didn’t have the same communication skills that the leader had. He didn’t have the ability to make Levi furious like the leader did. It was a mistake for these criminals to change the speaker today. Levi would tear him apart with his words as quickly as he could, and he’d gain as much information in this short conversation as was possible.

“That’s really unprofessional, you know?” Levi started. “Getting riled up ‘cause you remembered how your mommy didn’t love you, and that you’re nothing but the scum of the earth. If you died, I bet she wouldn’t care. Or is your mommy already dead? Did she die telling you what a disappointment you were?”

The new speaker had true loathing in each dilated pupil, but when he looked off to the side, he cleared his throat. Levi guessed that someone was directing him beside the camera, telling him not to get off track just because of what Levi was saying.

The boy in the mask continued. “Mr. Yeager. Today I am only here to reiterate the conditions for the money. You’ve got two days, as you surely know. If anyone comes with you, Eren will not live. Your hope for a reunion depends on your ability to understand and complete these conditions. Your deadline is 11 P.M. on the eighth day. Do you understand? It’s vital that you do.”

“What about the location?” Levi asked, ignoring the question.

“The location will be given to you at 10 P.M. on the eighth day.”

Levi raised his eyebrows. “That doesn’t seem fair, does it? I only have an hour to get there.”

He could tell that the boy on the screen was smiling beneath the ski-mask. “You needn’t worry. You’ll have plenty of time to get there and complete the transaction in time.”

Levi thought that maybe, since he knew the final location was less than an hour away, he could find the location before the deadline. But with so little information, he knew it’d be impossible. It could be in any direction from their house. It could be in a small corner of a desolate town. The possibilities were endless.

And then, he realized something. “Transaction?”

The man on the screen gave a short nod. “In your location, there will be a computer. When you get there, you will understand. It will be a direct transaction. No cash, no checks. No tricks. Once we see you’ve completed the transaction, we’ll send Eren your way.”

Levi took a moment to soak in this information. From how far away would they send Eren his way? How would his people be able to find the group if the transaction location was different from the group’s location? It was beginning to seem like there would be no way to get out of this but to pay. Of course, Levi would do anything, and he’d even let them go bankrupt for him, even if Eren hated him for it. But he’d been hoping to get this finished without the hit to their company. For Eren’s sake.

The ravenette looked up, hatred brilliant in his gaze, piercing the man before him. “Even if my money makes you wealthy, you will never be anything but pathetic. You’ll live the rest of your life as the dirt beneath my shoe. Have fun being a man who could do nothing for himself. I’m sure your mother’s proud.”

The one on the screen shook his head and muttered, “замолчи.” It was said softly and offhandedly, so at first, Levi didn’t think much of it, even though the word registered in his mind.

The screen clicked off, and the rest of the day was spent aimlessly, his people not knowing where to go from there.

 

 **DAY SEVEN.**  
That morning, no communication came. It seemed like the sixth day had been for information before the criminal group got ready for the final meet-up. Levi was both grateful and angry. He needed to focus on the mission, but he’d also wanted to see Eren’s face. Getting so close to the deadline meant that anything could have happened to Eren, and that the criminals were keeping up a false facade just for the money. But Levi didn’t let himself think about that.

When they were sitting around one of the dining room tables in his house, the house abuzz with conversations, the investigation hot and heavy, Mikasa came to sit beside him. Hanji, one of the detectives, and the manager of the tech support were sitting there, too, talking amongst themselves.

“Something’s been bothering me,” Mikasa told him, voice low.

Levi laughed humorlessly. “There’s been a lot bothering me.”

Mikasa shook her head. “No. Yesterday, the one who spoke to us clicked off after saying something in Russian.”

Levi nodded. “It means ‘shut up.’ Does it matter if they’re Russian or not?”

Mikasa scratched her chin. “I’m not sure. The leader and the boy from yesterday both didn’t have noticeable accents, yet he told us to shut up in Russian. If they’re a high-level professional crime group with members from Russia, wouldn’t that mean that they could have the resources to have hard training that helps them smooth out the thickness of their accents and perfect their other languages?”

Again, Levi nodded, listening intently. “Like how spies often have to learn to perfect their accents and language-speaking abilities?”

“Exactly. And if we know that this group has some Russian speakers who have perfected their Japanese, we can also assume that this is a professional group with the resources to have such intense and highly strict training?”

Levi’s skin was on fire, the information connecting in his head. “A professional and highly skilled Russian crime group that has made its move to Japan. Or they simply have connections in Japan. Either way, it’s a lead.”

Mikasa immediately turned to the others at the table to tell them, and a few of the detectives began researching online for a list of qualified and identifiable Russian crime groups. Not just gangs, but groups that have history and leaders.

There were quite a few. Apparently, the yakuza in Japan have a long line of connections from other countries. Russian, German, Italian, French, and Korean crime groups all currently had deals and contracts with the yakuza. Having connections and being in the information trade were all important to crime groups. 

One thing Levi did know, however, was that this was going to have to be done in a very specific way. Organized crime groups had difficult relationships with police, and sometimes, the government could be paid off to ignore what goes on in the criminal world. Of course, certain crimes had to be accounted for. But in this world, everything could be bought, and justice was crowded with political and social corruption.

He’d only take the help of those he trusted. A few detectives, Hanji and Mikasa.

And, of course, Levi knew some criminals of his own. Yaeger Enterprises wasn’t bad, but when Levi and Eren found themselves being scammed or corrupted by other groups or individuals, Levi often relied on the threats of his own people. And his people, kind bodyguards and ex-gunslingers, had a few tricks up their sleeves.

 

It soon became dusk as the research continued. 

When it hit seven in the evening, Levi found something particular. On some random forum, there was some grainy footage. The quality was low, but the faces were still identifiable. 

The person who posted the video in the forum commented beneath it: “saw some weird shit under a bridge in koto the other night. heard some other rumors about gang activity - stay safe!”

Levi wrinkled his brows, watching the video. Beneath a small bridge, near the water of the river, two men were arguing. It seemed like a normal verbal argument, heated but still somehow professional, until the taller man backhanded the shorter one and hissed something at him.

Levi grabbed earbuds, then watched the video again. The argument, even with earbuds, was impossible to make out. Their words were loud but jumbled, just a mixture of random words. But at the end, after the punch was thrown, the taller man’s scolding was audible. He said ‘shut up’ in Russian.

“Mikasa, look at Russian groups or yakuza that currently have branches in Koto.”

“Koto?”

He nodded, showing her the video. Her expression grew concerned, then determined, as she began sifting through forums, too. It seemed like forums posted by anonymous bystanders were their best bet. Main stream media and a quick browser search wouldn’t give them the answers they needed.

Not even an hour later, Mikasa found a random tip far into a forum. Just gossip, yet Levi knew it had to be more than that. Apparently, yakuza in Koto and surrounding districts have been tense lately because of money spouts with other crime groups. Levi and Mikasa knew those other crime groups had to be the same Russian group they were looking for. 

And then, deeper into that same thread, a picture of a street. On the street, far and slightly blurred, there was a small coffee shop hidden between other stores. A man in a coat was walking into the store. The commenter posted, “went into this coffee shop today but it was just lots of men looking suspicious as fuck ^_^ super terrifying.”

Mikasa squinted. “I know that street. It’s a shopping strip in Koto. There’s a lot of waterways and shipping business around there.”

Levi nodded. He recognized it, too. “It’s not far from here.” He paused, glancing at Mikasa and looking at her head-on. “I know it’s not much, but everything seems to lead to Koto. They don’t know that we’ve got a lead…” He scratched his chin, thinking deeply. “Tomorrow, when they give me the location, we’ll know for sure. But it’ll be too late to set everything up. I say we prepare to do everything in Koto. If we’re wrong, it’ll be our loss… but this is the biggest possibility we have.”

The head detective that was listening to the whole conversation nodded. “You’re right. We can’t be sure, but we have to take whatever chances we have. Just in case we’re wrong about Koto, though, you still need to be prepared to make that transaction, Levi.”

The man nodded. “I would never risk this on intuition. If I have to do it in the end, I will.” He cracked his fingers. “Let’s make a plan for ambush in Koto, then.”

 

 **DAY EIGHT.**  
Levi couldn’t sleep, but that wasn’t new.

Around 4 or 5 A.M., as Mikasa slept beside him on the couch and he continued looking at blueprints of Koto’s streets and buildings, Hanji quietly sat beside him. 

“Today’s the most important day, Levi. You won’t help Eren if you’re exhausted and weak.”

Levi looked at her. His stare seemed dead. The past week, he had been a walking wraith, a fake man with a fake voice and a fake body. He felt non-existent. Hearing his husband’s name didn’t help.

When they were away from each other for business, it was hard enough. But they spoke on the phone every day. They texted. They made time for one another.

This? This was his hell, and he would not be capable of surviving another day without his husband.

So he nodded, shut the laptop, and let himself fall asleep.

 

9 P.M., the Yaeger mansion.

Everything was set. His fingers couldn’t stop moving. He was wide awake and energized. With a button-up white collared shirt, a tie, and a jacket, the bulletproof vest was fairly thin. In an emergency, if he was shot from a distance, it would be like a hard punch to the chest. Up close, a bullet would pierce his skin but wouldn’t penetrate him. If he was being shot in the torso, that is. The head was another issue, but Levi liked to think that things would go well tonight, and he needn’t worry about gunshots.

He looked prideful and tall despite his shorter stature. Eyes were slanted and cold. Mind was abuzz with the plans, and the eager, unrestful need to see Eren. To touch him, to feel him, to kiss the spot of his missing finger. To know he was alive, and that they weren’t just playing him.

When it hit 10, the static of the television turned on, and then the leader stood there, mask on.

He started, short and simple. “This is a pre-recording. One hour, Levi. One billion.”

He gave them the address, then clicked off.

It was in Koto.

Levi grinned.

 

10:30 P.M., Eren’s location.

Eren was in a car. Wrists were bound, but his feet and mouth were free. He didn’t scream, though. The driver, one of the higher-ups of the group he’d spent his week with, had a gun in his hand. Over the course of his kidnapping, this man had hit him a few times. But no one tortured him more than the leader of the group, the one who controlled everything. 

Eren was terrified. They were in Koto, and his captors were hidden everywhere.

The meet-up place was in a container terminal. Large crates of cargo were stacked on one another, making rows of tall metal boxes. The crates were blue and red and yellow, but in the darkness of night, it was hard to understand where you were in the mess of shipments. A few criminals were hiding atop some of the crates, guns aimed down. One sniper was pointing towards the transfer spot.

Eren had come to the conclusion that he could not allow Levi to make the transfer, nor could he risk him being in this location, where it was incredibly easy to be shot.

A day ago, as he was laying on the floor in agony after another beating, Eren had found an old, rusted safety pin. The end was sharp. Eren had found different ways to hide it. Sometimes in his mouth, sometimes in his hands. Today, it was in his pocket.

The driver, who Eren had nicknamed Larry just out of pure boredom during the past week, was on the phone. He was apologizing to someone, probably their leader. Then he switched to Russian.

A day or two ago, they’d started speaking Russian around Eren, and so Eren had made the connection that this was not the yakuza, but a Russian crime group. Because of this, however, they hadn’t let him speak to Levi. Once you learn their secrets, they can’t risk it.

He took the safety pin out of his pocket as Larry spoke on the phone. His wrists were still tied tight, so he’d have to be detailed with his aim. 

The thing was, he did trust Levi. He trusted him completely to solve this, one way or another.

However, Eren knew their faces. He knew their voices. He could easily identify one of them. He was a billionaire, with power, who would sue and take down the people who’d taken him. He knew that, and they knew that. They wouldn’t let him live. He was sure of it.

But there was no way that he’d die. Not when he was so close to seeing Levi again. Not when Levi had spent so much time trying to find him again. And not when he and Levi still had an empire to watch over, and a future to build.

So the second that Larry got off the phone, Eren swung his arm hard, and let the safety pin pierce into the man’s jugular. Larry choked, swatting away, and the gun fell. Eren grabbed it, and got out of the car without another look back.

He’d fix this, before it was too late.

 

Levi made it to Koto within 35 minutes of the recorded message. No one was in the car with him, but Hanji and Mikasa were following at a distance. Preparations were set. 

They’d discovered before they left that the location was a container terminal. Which, in some odd way, was both perfect and impossible. It was either incredibly easy to follow Levi’s movements, or hard in the dark. He’d just have to use it to his advantage.

Ten minutes to 11, he pulled into the site. He drove as far as he could, but when he couldn’t get any farther, he turned off the car and got out.

The container terminal was full of crates, all different colors, but it wasn’t too difficult to find the specific location. Which was good, too, because he only had a few short minutes before it specifically hit 11.

All he found was a single laptop, sitting on the ground, and a flip phone beside it. Two minutes ‘til 11, the phone rang. Levi immediately reached to answer it, then he opened the laptop, ignoring the fact that he was crouched near the grimy ground.

He didn’t speak, and he didn’t have to. The man spoke for him.

“There should be a box to type on your screen.” Levi looked at it, nodding to himself. The man, whose voice Levi recognized as the leader of their little group, told him the password, which was an intricate arrangement of numbers and letters. When he pressed enter, another screen showed up. It was a page that asked him to type up all his information. Bank numbers, social security number, name, address, and more.

Then, there was a box to type in the amount of money he wanted to hand over. 

“Tick tock, Levi.”

He ground his teeth, fingers hovering over the numbers. “I want Eren, first. Then, I swear I’ll finish the transaction.”

He heard a ‘tch’ over the line. It seemed more agitated than normal. “That wasn’t the deal, Levi.”

“Fuck the fucking deal, I want to know you’re not screwing me over. Show me Eren.”

“Type in the number, Levi.”

Slowly, he typed in the numbers, being careful not to hit enter yet.

Then he stood, the tension in the air thick, drizzle before the storm.

“Where the fuck is he?”

“You’ve got a minute, Levi! Shut up and enter the goddamn number or we’ll kill him AND you.”

The statement caught him off guard, and for some reason, he felt an ominous, non-existent pressure on his chest. Right over his heart, there was a red dot. With the bulletproof vest on, he felt safe, and he gave no reaction to the aimed sniper gun.

“If you lay a fucking hand on him-”

Their voices are short, curt, fast. The time’s pressing down. They’re both desperate.

“I’ve got a gun to Eren’s head right now, and I will put this bullet through his brain if you don’t enter the fucking number, Levi.”

He crouches again. Anger roams off his frame, ferocious. He is an animal of the night, and he wants to catch his prey. But they couldn’t start the mission until they secured Eren and ensured his safety. And they couldn’t secure his safety until Levi entered in the information and let the money be transferred. It was a vicious cycle.

“I’ll give you ten seconds to decide, or I’m pulling the trigger.”

Levi knew Eren valued the company that they’d built. It wasn’t about the money. He knew it wasn’t. It was about pride. It was about succumbing to the scum of the earth. It was about protecting what they’d built: the memories, the hard work, the endless hours, the time apart. It was about saving their passion.

But Eren WAS his passion. Eren was the reason he’d made it through those hard times, and the reason why he’d never given up. The company could only be whole if Eren was involved. The importance of what they’d built did not come close to the significant of Levi’s love for him. Even if Eren didn’t think his life was worth the fall of an empire, Levi did. Levi would risk it all for him. Even if it was the only thing Eren wanted.

“Four, three, two…”

He bent down, index finger reaching for the ‘ENTER’ button.

Then:

“Wait! Levi!”

 

There’s this feeling. A feeling when you’re underwater, the darkness of the ocean surrounding you. Waves encase you. You’re surrounded by loneliness, a whisper of death, a troubling ache as the water fills your mouth and lungs and tugs you down, down.

You’re choking, and there’s nothing to do because you don’t have the energy to move your arms.  
And then the current whisks you up, and the waves soften along your back and help you up. And suddenly, you’re gasping for breath above the surface, dusk sun on your face, orange in the clouds, and you’re free, you’re free.

That’s what it was like hearing his voice.

 

Levi stood immediately, holding back the sobs that threatened to rise. “Eren—! Eren, oh god.”

Eren’s running towards him, and in the background, he can hear multiple things happening at once.

In the ear-piece he secretly had lodged into his ear, he heard Hanji shouting at someone else. “Eren is secure! Start the mission!” The roaring of a helicopter neared, flapping and wild, and then gunshots erupted along the container terminal.

In the phone, he heard the crime group leader cursing. But he didn’t seem surprised that Eren was alone (Don’t ever underestimate a Yaeger). He only seemed angry about the arrival of air support from the Yaeger team. He shouted something in Russian, probably calling commands to his own employees.

But Levi couldn’t focus on any of it. He saw Eren, brown hair, always so messy. Bright eyes, mix of blue or green or whatever the hell it was that made his heart race. He saw a concerned expression and loving gaze. He saw bruises and cuts coating Eren’s face, some fresh and some old. There was dried blood and the beginnings of scarring. He saw the unorganized wraps around Eren’s left hand.

But most importantly, he saw Eren. His husband, the man he fell asleep next to after saying ‘I love you.’ The one he woke up next to and allowed himself to kiss, even before they brushed their teeth. The one who comforted him, who was always on his team no matter how much of an ass Levi could be to others. The man who fought for him, who stood beside him, who blushed so deeply, who looked beautiful no matter what, whether his face was hot and moaning and shoved into a mattress or if he was tired and exhausted and sick in bed.

Levi couldn’t move as Eren ran towards him, always fighting no matter what. But then Eren’s expression began to shift. In the phone, he heard, “Shoot, shoot!” He looked down right as Eren neared, and saw the red dot still on his own chest.

In the distance, a click.

Eren’s arms extended. Levi thought he was going to hug him. He was confused, worried, frantic. But Eren was slick and fast and determined. He shoved Levi, hard, just as a shot went off in the distance. Levi only realized what was happening as his body was tipping, gravity shoving him to the floor, back to the concrete ground. In his late realization, he didn’t have the time to tell Eren about his bulletproof vest.

Above him, Eren stood. In that short, miniscule millisecond, his husband looked like an angel.

Then something whizzed through Eren’s chest, and blood splattered in a clean, drizzled line across Levi’s face.

There was a short, drawn-out silence. After the prolonged moment of shock, like they were in a still-frame, Eren’s body began to collapse, and he slowly fell forward onto his husband.

Levi caught him, eyes slanted, eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Eren. There was a hole through his left breast plate, and crimson seeped out from it from the back. Eren’s breathing was heavy, and his fists clung to Levi’s bloodied jacket.

It all came crashing down at once, and soon Levi gently held Eren’s back, flipping him over, mumbling a soft, horrified, “No, no, no.” He laid him in his lap, cradling his whole body. His fingers, shaking uncontrollably, pushed Eren’s hair from his face. “No, no.” He looked around, as if to ask for help, but there was chaos from above the crates.

Thankfully, in his ear, Hanji was asking what was wrong. “Ambulance! Ambulance, Hanji, he’s hurt!” And then he was looking down at Eren again, rocking him.

“Not my baby, not you. Not you, please, please, Eren.”

A tiny, lazed smile settled over Eren’s mouth. It was almost ghostly. “Don’t give up on what we built.” Blood bubbled up from his mouth and coated his teeth and throat. “Don’t let.. don’t let ‘em win..” Even in looming death, he held onto his life’s pride.

“No, baby, sh, I’ve got you. I’ve got you, Eren.”

Eren reached for his hand, and despite his weakness, despite the gravel edge of his voice, he gripped Levi’s hand as hard as he could. Eren had always been like that- bringing him back to reality. Keeping him grounded. 

Tears would not stop falling from Levi’s eyes, but Eren didn’t cry. Which was ridiculous, really, considering Eren cried more often than his husband, and Levi was always the one to pat him on the head or cheer him up. 

Eren gathered all his strength and all his courage just to say a few more words, clear and deliberate, eyes slowing closing.

“I love you, Levi Yaeger, and I will love you beyond death.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHH. What now? Well, I originally said this would be a two-chapter story, but I decided it definitely needs an epilogue. So, no worries. We'll see the aftermath, and whether or not Eren's okay, in the third chapter :)
> 
> There are three men from the kidnapping group, but because they are nameless (besides Larry, lol), it can get a bit confusing. There's a leader, a younger member, and then the driver/member (Larry). BTW, these are only the three members I mention in the story, but there's a lot more members in the actual crime group. For example, the sniper, and the few men atop the cargo crates. If you have specific questions about anything, please don't hesitate to ask! I was a bit plot-heavy in this chapter so it's a lot to take in.
> 
> Also, I'm not sure if Koto, Tokyo has a container terminal but AYE, IT'S FICTION. Where magic happens... or was that Disney World?


End file.
